Poll: Huge Majority Says Economy Should Trump Congressional Investigations

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

An overwhelming majority of Americans said that the economy and unemployment should take precedence over the Congressional investigations into the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups, the Justice Department's subpoena of Associated Press phone records and last year's deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University released Thursday.

The poll found that 73 percent of American voters nationwide believe that dealing with the economy and unemployment should be a higher priority than the investigations. Fewer than a quarter of Americans — 22 percent — believe that the investigations should be the higher priority.

Among the three controversies engulfing Washington, D.C., the poll found that a plurality of 44 percent believe the situation involving the IRS is the most important. A majority of 53 percent said that the agency's improper targeting of conservative groups constitutes a scandal and 76 percent believe that a special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate the situation.

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/poll-huge-majority-says-economy-should-trump-congressional

[aristocles]

1. The sad truth is...

...Congress can do little about the economy and unemployment without the cooperation of the monied interests. And they don't care one whit. The market is booming isn't it?

[NewJeffCT]

3. If Congress passed a large stimulus bill today

and the president signed it tonight, it would have a huge positive impact on the economy over the next several quarters. It wouldn't matter what the bankers did or did not do.

Repairing roads, bridges, tunnels, rail lines, airports, etc could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and prepare our country for the 21st century. Upgrading our electrical grids, installing more solar & wind power, etc could as well.

[mountain grammy]

5. Correct, Congress can do plenty for this economy and the big money will follow along

making more big money..

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. People are questionining my allegiance to this president...

...in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022920868

Your response is one of the reasons why I supporting this president. Everything that he has attempted to do to get this economy back on track has been thwarted either by (1) obstructionist Republicans or (2) cowardly Democrats.

Since Day 1, the president has championed public works projects, infrastructure improvements, JOBS bills related to green building practices. Every single thing that he has tried to do has been met with obstruction.

Most liberals here at DU and on blogs elsewhere do not even know that the president tried to get a bigger stimulus at the end of 2009, but it was the corporate, Blue Dog Democrats too cowardly to push through more stimulus.

(See Jared Bernstein, former Senior Economic Advisor for Joe Biden, http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/31/bernstein.obama.recovery/index.html)

Thank you very much for your reasoned post!

[NewJeffCT]

11. I don't love Obama

but, the way I look at it, Bush got a $1.2 trillion+ stimulus through massive (unpaid for) tax cuts and mailing checks out to Americans when we had a mini-recession in 2001, which was somewhat related to the popping of the tech bubble and also 9/11. (Didn't they mail out checks of $300 to $500 to every family?)

When Obama was ready to take office, the economy was far worse than it was in 2001 or 2002 - the stock market had tanked, unemployment was skyrocketing, housing was crashing and millions of homeowners were underwater, etc, etc.

Yet, the Obama stimulus package was only $787 billion, half of which were tax cuts, which are one of the least efficient means of stimulus. Krugman was right when he said we really needed a stimulus at least 2x bigger, if not 3x or 4x.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. "The Obama stimulus package was only $787 billion, half of which were tax cuts"...

Thank the Blue Dog Democrats for that. According to Bernstein, Obama wanted more to go to the middle class. The cowardly Democrats joined with Republicans in pushing for a greater percentage of tax cuts.

[BenzoDia]

2. It's always unemployment and the economy. That's all we heard about leading up to last year's

election. And what do House Republicans have to show for their efforts in the House?

[NewJeffCT]

4. It's been their stated purpose

Last edited Thu May 30, 2013, 09:57 AM - Edit history (1)

to stop Obama anyway they can. From 2009-2012, it was to try to make him look bad and prevent him from being re-elected. From 2013 through 2016, it will be to keep the economy down as much as possible to improve the GOP's chances in 2014 and 2016.

[aristocles]

7. Correct

[Catch2.2]

15. Attempts to Repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act and...

abortion.

[Sunlei]

6. another vote soon for congress member who got in last time saying they would bring JOBS

republicans lie and they will lie again to reelected. I hope people vote this time or the cycle will never be broken. money spent will win again.

[Iliyah]

8. A special prosecutor?

Yeah, get one to prove how Kochs Roves and others abuse the tax system.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. Glad to hear that there are times when the American people are fair-minded.

[PearliePoo2]

13. The Re-thugs won't care about this poll.

It's PARTY before COUNTRY for these treasonous rat-bastards.

K&R

[hrmjustin]

14. Unfortunately this will not stop the GOP drive to harm the president at all costs.

They think they got something and will do anything to try to bring the president down.

[quadrature]

16. Congress has plenty of time for vacations...

so they have plenty of available time
to investigate whatever the issue
is here